Faith In The Wild •CARL GRIMES•

Am I Too Late?

It was dark, the forrest trees loomed over me in the moonlight.

I saw a few shadowy figures stumble and crawl with such a lost look, their aching and heavy, yet emotionless breaths was all that filled my ears. Until suddenly, a familiar cry struck out.
Carl's screams echoed the deep forrest.

Again?

"Carl?" I asked in a hushed and worried tone. Everything else was drowned out, except his broken cries.

I heard leaves crumbling but I couldn't pinpoint what direction it was coming from.

"Carl?!" I repeated, much louder this time.
"Where are you? What's wrong!" My breath quickened and tears threatened to leave the brims of my hazel brown eyes.

It felt as if I was running forever, like the trees would never run out. I felt trapped yet too free to feel comfortable. I felt so vulnerable.

Here I was, yet again.

The screams and cries kept on, his voice cracking with every time he yelled. Until they just... stopped.

For some reason, this only made the worry worse.

"Carl..?" I asked, my voice trembling with a shattered sadness.

If someone's screaming and crying for help, they usually don't just stop. Something's wrong.

I thought.

I ran until I was out of breath, my chest felt tight, I felt like I was under water with how loud my heartbeat was.

I saw nothing but trees and darkness, no Walkers, no trail, no nothing. Something felt incredibly off.

I stood straight, breathing heavily, the silence had never been so loud.

An eerie chill crawled down my spine, and a quiet sound as if something was... almost growling whilst chewing.. the sound itched in the depths of my ears.

Not again, not again. Please not. Again.

My eyes widened and the discernment within me was telling me, "Don't turn around.." But a part of me also needed to know.

I slowly turned around, my eyes met with the soft blue of Carl's eyes, yet something was so.. limp and blank about the way they just stared into mine.

Tears began hesitantly streaming down his pale cheeks, before his lips parted slightly to speak, yet nothing came out.

My eyes darted to what was laying at his knees, and what I saw... Was mortifying.

A small rabbit was covered in its red smears, pieces of fur spread out across the leaves on the ground beneath it.

Carl wouldn't do that, he loves animals..
I told myself.

My eyebrows furrowed, my eyes wide. Something is definitely wrong.

He started to lean towards me, and I didn't even realize his hands were on my shoulders. When I looked back into his eyes.. they were glazed over with a milky white hue.

Every nerve in my body was screaming, "Turn, run, while you can!" But I couldn't leave him like this, out here...

I carefully started moving backwards as his fingernails dug into my shoulders.

"Carl. Stop it, that hurts." But he couldn't hear me. "Please, Carl, it's me.." I pleaded. Then there it was, the raw growl every biter made.

The way they breathed was even different than that of a sane person.